The arraignment of former President Donald Trump has sparked a wave of threats against New York Judge Juan Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. According to sources, Merchan and his family have received multiple threats in the 24 hours following Trump’s arraignment. The threats have appeared as social media posts, and the New York Police Department’s intelligence division is looking into them. Meanwhile, Bragg’s office has also received threats via phone, email, and social media posts, with the exact number not disclosed.
The courthouse has also received bomb threats before and after the indictment, and on March 24, a threat was made in an envelope containing white powder, which was ultimately determined to be non-hazardous. Court staff and the NYPD have increased security at the Manhattan criminal courthouse, and security has been added for Bragg and his prosecutors. The New York courts have said that they will continue to evaluate and reevaluate security concerns and potential threats, with protocols being adjusted as necessary.
Trump is being charged with 34 class E felonies for falsifying company records pertaining to the $130,000 payment of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He is the first president ever to be charged with a crime, but he has pleaded not guilty to all allegations. However, Trump and his allies have publicly criticized Merchan and his family, including his adult daughter, who was listed during the 2020 election cycle as the president of Authentic Campaigns, a firm Vice President Kamala Harris used for digital fundraising and advertising during her presidential campaign. Trump has labeled Merchan a “highly partisan judge” and said the judge and his family are “Trump haters” on his Truth Social account.
In response to the threats, the New York police detail assigned to the DA’s office is providing extra security to all affected staff members. Court officers are boosting security for the judge and the court as a whole as a precaution. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has also removed online bios of its employees from its website due to troubling posts on social media, including those on Trump’s Truth Social platform. Despite the threats and criticism, Merchan has not commented on the remarks made by Trump and others about him and his family.
